Method of manufacturing nitrostarch explosives



. FIPTQO REFERENCE UNITED STATES WALTER O. SNELLING AND WILLIAM R.

ASSIGNORS TO TROJAN POWDER COMPANY, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA,

. A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LAMS, or ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA,

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING NITROSTAROH EXPLOSIVES.

Specification of Letters iatent.

SEARCH KUUIVI Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

No Drawing. Original application filed June 22, 1918, Serial No. 241,354. Divided andthis application filed September 3, 19

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER O. SNELLING and WILLIAM R. LAMS, citizens of the United 'States, and residents of Allentown, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Methods of Manufacturing Nitrostarch Explosives, (being a division of application other nitro-explosives, have not been usable with nitro-starch without injurious efi'ect upon the explosive. Nitro-starch is very readily colloided by a large number of organic substances, and such colloidization, even when it is only superficial and does not extend materially into the substance of the nitro-starch granules, acts injuriously upon the nitro-starch' The stability of nitrostarch which is partly colloided is usually much less than is the corresponding stability of the uncolloided nitro-starch, and the sensitiveness to detonation is also influenced, colloided nitro-starch being much more difficult to detonate than uncolloided nitrostarch, thus making the use of a very strong detonator necessary, where any considerable amount of colloidization has occurred.

There are certain substances, such as rosanilin' base, and diphenylamin, which are well recognized as stabilizing agents in connection with nitro-cellulose products. Owing to the greater ease with which nitrostarch tends to colloid, the introduction of these materials into the manufacture of nitro-starch ex losives has been limited, and accordingly t e use of these valuable stabilizing agents has in a measure been prevented. I

We have discovered that the presence of a heavy mineral oil, such as a medium or heavy lubricating oil, tends to wholly revent the colloiding action of basic stabilizing agents, without lessening in any way their stabilizing properties. It appears that the oil acts as a protection against colloidi- 19. Serial No. 321,455.

zation of the nitro-starch, the oil probabl covering the surface of the, nitro-starc granules with a thin film, and this filmv of oil-saturated nitro-starch resisting the colloidizing action of the stabilizing agent.

In the practice of our invention, we use only small amounts of oil, and very small amounts of the stabilizing agent. For example, with a finished explosive containing 25% of nitro-starch,-and a total of about of sodium and ammonium nitrates, we may use from one-half of one per cent. to a total of about 2% of oil, and of stabilizing agent from about one-tenth to three-tenths per cent. Y

Asan illustration of a nitro-starch powder made up according to the present invention. we give the following formula Nitrated starch 25.0% Ammonium nitrate 33.0% Sodium nitrate 38.2% Charcoal 2.0% Sodium bicarbonate .5% Oil 1.0% Diphenylamin 3% In our application Serial No. 241,354 filed June 22, 1918, of which this application 15 a division, we have described a method of treating the nitro-starch with the stabilizing agent by dissolving the said agent in the oil and then incorporating the solution with the other ingredients of the explosive. According to our present invention the diphenylamin, free from oil, is added to the inorganic nitrate such as sodium nitrate or the mixture of sodium and ammonium nitrates,

' said mixture being heated, and the heated mixture rolled or tumbled for some time at atemperature referably of about 50 0., or higher. Dip enylamin being slightly volatile at this temperature, coats the grains of nitrate. Nitro-starch previously mixed with a sufficient quantity of a heavy mineral oil to coat the nltro-starch particles with a thin film of said oil is then thoroughly mixed with the treated inorganic nitrate, and the oil serves its function of protecting the nitro starch ains from the colloiding effect of the dip enylamin. v

' By referring in our specification to diphenylamin as a suitable stabilizing agent for the practice of our invention, we do not,

in its broader aspects, wish to be limited to that particular agent, as other stabilizing agents having colloiding properties may be successfully employed with mtro-starch by the method above outlined-such for example as other organic bodies containing an amino grou The colloiding .action is prevented by t e presence of mineral oil.

As to the mineral oil, we have obtained mineral oil.

2. The method of manufacturing nitrostarch explosives contaimng an lnorganlc nitrate and an organic stabilizing 'agent,

which consists in thoroughly mixing the nitrate with the stabilizing agent at a temperature sufliciently high to slightly volatilize the latter, thereby coating the nitrate" grains with said organic body and then thoroughly mixing with said treated nitrate nitro-starch in the presence of a small quantity of mineral oil.

3. The method of manufacturing'nitrothoroughly mixing with said treated nitrate, Intro-starch in the presence of a small quantity of mineral oil.

4. The method of manufacturing nitrostarch explosives containing an inorganic nitrate which consists in thoroughly mixing the nitrate with diphenylamin at a temperature sufficiently high to slightly volatilize the latter, thereby coating the nitrate grains with said diphenylamin, and then thoroughly mixing with said treated nitrate nitro-starch in the presence of a small quantity of mineral oil.

5. The method of manufacturing nitrostarch explosives containing an inorganic nitrate which consists in thoroughly mixing the nitrate with diphenylamin at a temperature sufliciently high to slightly volatilize the latter, thereby coating the nitrate grains with said diphenylamin, mixing nitro-starch with a suflicient quantity of a heavy mineral oil to coat the nit-ro-starch particles with a thin film of said oil, and then thoroughly mixing together the treated inor ganic nitrate and the treated nitrostarch.

WALTER o. SNELLING. WILLIAM R. LAMS. 

